Accra, Nov 5, GNA - Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, Regional Programmes Manager of ABANTU for Development, has charged Women to explore the numerous opportunities available, since they are the agents of development in society.

Women, she said, needed to be empowered through training and provided with employable skills to make them self-sufficient. Dr Mensah-Kutin threw the challenge when she opened the 17th National Quadrennial Convention of the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) in Accra at the week-end. The four-day Convention had "Come, Let Us Re-build", as its theme. She said the training acquired by women would prepare them adequately to take charge of their future.

Dr Mensah-Kutin asked women to live above reproach so that society would accord them the respect and dignity they deserved. She said one of the challenges that confront the Church today was ensuring that Women's Rights were not trampled upon. She charged Women to champion the fight against negative practices that militated against their development and progress. Dr Mensah-Kutin pledged her organization's preparedness to partner YWCA in its bid to let the voices of women heard in society. "It is our desired responsibility to hold hands with organizations like the YWCA, so that its re-building, as the theme for the Convention suggests, can be achieved."

Ms Esther Owusu, National General Secretary of the YWCA, said the association was founded in 1952 as a voluntary Christian organization, whose membership spread across 100 countries worldwide. Ms Owusu said in Ghana YWCA had membership in seven out of the 10 regions with 25 branches nationwide, and aimed at enhancing the socio-economic lives of females in the country.

The General Secretary said the Association's focus was mainly on young women and children, "because by catching them young, they would be able to play their expected roles when they grew up". She expressed YWCA's appreciation to donors without whose active support and contributions, she said, the association would not have attained greater heights.

Nii Tetteh Adjabeng, Adabraka Mantse, said the question of women emancipation was crucial to the nation's accelerated development and progress. Nii Adjabeng urged YWCA and YMCA to come together, and complement the efforts of each other, to enable the two bodies achieve their set goals and objectives. Mr Mohammed Norgah, Assemblyman for Adabraka, used the occasion to reiterate the call on the electorate to ensure peaceful co-existence, before, during and after the December 7 polls. Ms Comfort Osei, out-going National President of YWCA, who chaired the function, urged young women to join the association.